e6400 webcam

I also have the same beef.  Even Windows XP let you use the camera via My Computer/Explorer. 

I downloaded and installed the "Dell Webcam Manager" (OEM - Creative)... it runs but complaines "...no supported Webcam driver installed..." 

Yes, the Webcam works with MSN Messenger and AIM but where the heck are the utilities (e.g., video recording, picture taking, etc.) you'd expect to get with just about every other Webcam???  Big goof IMNSHO...

-Freddy

exactly freddy!  i did the same as you with the webcam manager!  i actually also did the dell online support chat & they installed it & couldnt understand why it wouldnt work!  i have had so much hassle with the dell online chat thing!  there rubbish!

so dell!  are you going to write some app that works vista for the e6400's?  like an updated version of webcam manager?

any one monitoring this thread?  whats the best way to escalate to the dell software peeps or to actually confirm that they have accepted this as an issue & are working on resolving it?

Thanks for the support.  Sad story about the chat support.  My experience hasn't been great either - seems to be a Tier 1 Help Desk.  I've run several help desks and run an IT department so I'm well familiar with the process.

One more big gripe: Gmail Video Chat - I'm blaming this e6400+Creative Webcam combo too.  Simply doesn't work.  Black screen during testing and the remote side sees nothing, zero!  It's not a problem of browser (tried several), JREs (tried several versions), updates (have them all), OS or anything else... external Webcams with this laptop and others with duplicate settings work just fine.  What IS THE DEAL DELL?  Please get with Creative and release a proper driver for the e6400 on-board Webcam.  Quite honestly, this is a QC/QA problem.  Why wasn't this fully tested prior to rollout?  The Dell Webcam manager integration inparticular?

-Freddy

Yeah!!!!!! any chance of a comment from a forum mod???  what do we (the PAYING customer) do when we have done YOUR QC/QA testing for you & we find an issue?  keep it to ourselves??

Agreed.

Update: I "downgraded" ehem... back to XP Prof on this particular model and Gmail Video Chat suddenly works.  Seems to be the Vista driver causing the problem.  Dell Webcam Manager still refuses to acknowledge the camera and there fore doesn't work but at least Explorer works.  I'm anxious for an update.

Yep.  Everything's working.  Among other things, I setup the base images for all our servers, laptops and desktops.  I did it so quickly for the e6400, I honestly don't remember specficially where I got the High Def Audio driver.  I do remember it being a problem however.  Normally, I will insert the Dell Driver disc and go straight down the list top to bottom for almost everything I know is actually there. 

If I recall correctly, I first installed the detected audio driver.  I did notice the High Def Audio driver missing.  However, I believe I got it to work as the last driver, after everything else was installed, by running MS Windows Update a few times maybe.  Then, right-clicked on the missing driver in Device Manager and pointed it manually to the extracted audio driver location (C:\Dell\Drivers usually).  A couple of reboots later, it was working.

Hope this helps.

have you managed to get all the devices detected on xp?  i know i had a go & downgrading when i first got the 6400 but struggled with one of the audio devices (to do with HD i think??)

i think ill have another go then. interestingly I see there are a few new drivers dated nov '08 on the download section, maybe this is an indication that dell are slowly working through the issues?

guess whats appeared under the application section on the dell drivers download page ;

WEBCAM SOFTWARE!!!!! Dated 26/11/2008 Version A01!!!

http://support.euro.dell.com/support/downloads/driverslist.aspx?c=uk&l=en&s=gen&ServiceTag=&SystemID=LAT_E6400&os=WLH&osl=en&catid=&impid=

I have downloaded & installed & its everything that we wanted!!! :-)

AT LAST!

Great news for you!

Unfortunately, I just tried this on XP SP3 and it still fails with the same results.  Have to "re-upgrade" to Vista? LOL... no thanks.

=(